Everyone has their own feelings and associations with the end of summer. Students feel sad because they will soon have to go back to their studies, while people who like the fall season rejoice that the dreadful heat left behind. August is like a summer Friday, so it is up to a person how to spend it. Brooklyn residents, for example, decided to make it boisterous. The festival on 18th Avenue became the main cultural event of August in Brooklyn. Read more at brooklynski.
Santa Rosalia
The 18th Avenue Feast, nicknamed so by locals, is officially known as the Feast of Santa Rosalia. It is held on 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The festival takes place between 68th Street and Bay Ridge Parkway.
The feast in Brooklyn was introduced by Italian immigrants. In Italy, especially in Sicily, St. Rosalia is widely honored. This all started from the legend, in which St. Rosalia saved Sicily from the plague. When it comes to reverence of Rosalia, Italians do this with their inherent chic and grandeur. The festival organizers in Brooklyn did not limit themselves. Celebrations last for 11 days. There is no exact date, but it always takes place at the end of August.
Every year, except for 2020, when the festival was canceled, live music, vibrant performances and delicious food awaited guests.
The Feast of Santa Rosalia always featured talented musicians. In 2022, it was Angelo Venuto. During the 11-day feast, each night presents new music, new artists and singers. Some of them are well-known to the locals, while others are heard for the first time. Although the event was initially intended to honor St. Rosalia, it has ultimately transformed into a music fest. Overall, it is one of the top festivals in Brooklyn and New York City.
The taste of Italy
It is hard to imagine Italy and the Italian people without delicious food and wine. The 18th Avenue Feast is famous for selling the tastiest national dishes, such as zeppole (pastry filled with custard), deep fried cookies, spicy sausages and more. You can buy all these delicacies right at the event. Each year, the fest updates its menu, for instance, desserts were added in 2022. Thus, everyone who has never been to Italy can taste a piece of it through national sweets.
The principal supplier of delicacies was a local bakery. Rainbow cookies, an unusual deep-fried dessert, became one of the best-selling foods in 2022.
In addition to Italian cuisine, other dishes could also be bought at the festival. There are various attractions available for children, such as a plane for kids, trampolines and other entertainment. Therefore, the Feast of Santa Rosalia became not just a music lovers’ venue but also a place for the whole family.
Besides being a major cultural event of the borough, the fest in Bensonhurst also gives an opportunity for advertising diverse shops, restaurants, bakeries, etc.
The Feast of Santa Rosalia always culminates with a festive procession along the avenue. Every year, the centerpiece of the exposition is chosen. In 2022, the main figures became Louis Coluccio and Rozella Rago. Coluccio owns a grocery store in Bay Ridge and is a member of the Third Avenue Merchants Association, while Rago is the host of the popular cooking show “Cooking with Nonna.”
Since 2016, six people have been involved in the fest’s organization, all of whom worked voluntarily. One of them is Angelo Timoneri, a native of Bensonhurst. Timoneri used to attend this festival when he was a kid, so he has always taken this event very personally. He dreamed his children would have the chance to see this spectacle too. The Feast of Santa Rosalia has become a national endow of the borough over the years. At this fest, entire generations spend the end of summer.
The annual Brooklyn festival is so sensational that people travel from New Jersey to attend it. Despite assimilation, Brooklyn’s cultural diversity continues to preserve its national heritage.